Belt and buckle arrangement

ABSTRACT

BELT AND BUCKLE ARRANGEMENT COMPRISES LONGITUDINALLY ORIENTED BUCKLE BODY WITH FASTENING STRUCTURE FOR FIXEDLY SECURING ONE END OF BOLT TO BUCKLE BODY. OBLIQUE SLOTTED OPENING AT ONE END OF BUCKLE BODY IS CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGEMENT TO RELEASABLY RECEIVE FREE END PORTION OF LONGITUDINALLY ORIENTED BELT, AND OBLIQUE OPENING HAS CLOSED   END TOWARD AND AGAINST WHICH FREE END OF LONGITUDINALLY ORIENTED BELT IS URGED WHEN THAT BELT IS INSERTED INTO OBLIQUE SLOTTED OPENING AND TIGHTENED.

Jan. 19, 1971 KlNJl TERADA BELT AND BUCKLE ARRANGEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 24, 1968 Jan. 19, 1971 KlNJl TERADA 3,555,626

BELT AND BUCKLE ARRANGEMENT Filed April 24, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i l l United States Patent O BELT AND BUCKLE ARRANGEMENT Kinji Terada, 40 Miyamarucho, Wakamatsu-ku,

. Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan Filed Apr. 24, 1968, Ser. No. 723,720 Int. Cl. A44b 11/02 US. Cl. 214-198 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a belt and buckle arrangement, and more particularly to a belt buckle having an oblique slotted opening that releasably receives the free end of a belt for securing it to the buckle.

Prior to the present invention numerous buckle and belt constructions have been proposed for safety purposes as well as articles of clothing. Basically, two types of belt buckles permit unlimited adjustment of the belting. Safety belts for aircraft and automobile passengers, for example, utilize a construction having a buckle with a clamping piece that clamps the belting to the buckle. Another construction involves a metal clip or tongue adjustably secured to a free end portion of the belting. The tongue is locked into a buckle attached to another belt portion. In either case, it is diflicult if not impossible to prevent slipping of the belting.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a buckle for releasably securing the ends of belting together which prevents slippage of the belting.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a belt and buckle arrangement comprising a longitudinally oriented buckle body having fastening structure for fixedly securing one end of a belt to the buckle body. An oblique slotted opening at one end of the buckle body is constructed and arranged to releasably receive the free end portion of a longitudinally oriented belt. The oblique slotted opening has a closed end toward and against which the free end portion of the longitudinally oriented belt is urged when that belt portion is inserted into the oblique slotted opening and tightened.

The buckle body may be curved from one end to the other. The oblique slotted opening has a width approximately equal to the thickness of the free end portion of the longitudinally oriented belt. In several embodiments of the present invention the oblique slotted opening has an open end opposite the closed end thereof, while in another embodiment the slotted opening is closed at both ends.

Moreover, the buckle body may include a second oblique slotted opening similar in configuration and parallel to the other slotted opening. Like the first opening, the second opening is also constructed and arranged to releasably receive the free end portion of the longitudinally oriented belt. Each oblique slotted opening may have an open end opposite the closed end thereof. Alternatively, each slotted opening may be closed at both ends.

Additionally, the buckle body may include a laterally 'ice directed edge portion against which the edge of the free end portion of the longitudinally oriented belt rests when that belt is inserted into the slotted opening and tightened. The laterally directed edge portion may be used in conjunction with a belt buckle having a pair of slotted openings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Novel features and advantages of the present invention in addition to those mentioned above will become apparent to one skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts and in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a belt buckle according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the belt buckle shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the belt buckle shown in FIGS. 1-2 with belting attached to the buckle;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of another belt buckle according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the belt buckle shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of still another belt buckle according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the belt buckle shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of still another belt buckle according to the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line 99 of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is a front elevational view of another belt buckle according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a belt buckle comprising a longitudinally oriented buckle body 1 with a slotted opening 2 that extends from the upper edge of the buckle body obliquely in a downward direction toward the free end portion of a longitudinally oriented belt 3. The lower half of the oblique slotted opening 2 has a width W approximately equal to the thickness T of the belt. Beltfitting openings; 4 are provided in the buckle body 1 for securing a belt 5 thereto. The free end of belt 5 may be attached to the buckle body by threading it through the Openings 4. and then fastening the overlapping portions together with a suitable fastener, for example. The belt 5 carries a loop or ring 6 that receives the end of belt 3, as shown in FIG. 3. Moreover, the longitudinally oriented buckle body 1 may be curved from one end to the other, as best shown in FIG. 2.

In the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, one end of the belt 5 is secured to the beltfitting openings 4 as described above, and the free end portion of the longitudinally oriented belt 3 is inserted from above into the oblique slotted opening 2. The free end of belt 3 is pulled through the slotted opening depending upon the tightness desired. Accordingly, when the required tightness is obtained the belts 3 and 5 are released. When a force is applied on the belt 3 tending to urge it away from the buckle body the lower half of the belt 3 engages the portions of the buckle body defining the lower half of the oblique slotted opening 2. Thus, a component of force acts in the direction of the oblique slotted opening, as shown in FIG. 3, to pull or urge the belt 3 downwardly against the closed end of the slotted opening. The belt 3 is thereby strongly pressed against the closed bottom end of the oblique slotted opening 2. As can readily be understood, as the force tending to pull the belt 3 away from the buckle body increases the component of that force acting in the direction of the oblique slotted 3 opening also increases thereby rendering slippage of the belt 3 away from the buckle body more difiicult.

For the purpose of engagement for the belt 3 with the buckle body 1 an essential condition is to fold the part of the belt 3fitted into the oblique slotted opening 2, but this condition is realized in actual use of the belt buckle with no intentional effort because the belt 3 is folded naturally whenits back wall is pressed against the human body or'package around which it is utilized. Additionally,

when the free end of the belt 3 is passed through the loop or ring 6 the belt is folded twice on both sides of the oblique slotted opening 2. The ring 6 also serves to prevent upward slipping of the belt 3 out of the oblique slotted opening 2. As can readily be understood, in the case of a safety belt or certain types of packing belts, the belts 3 and are separated pieces, each of which are separately anchored to structure at the desired locations of the belts. Moreover, when the belting and buckle are used as an article of clothing, the belt portions 3 and 5 may be integrally connected at their ends most removed from the buckle body 1.

Removal of the belt 3 from the buckle body 1 is a simple matter and such removal is accomplished by pulling the belt 3 upwardly and out of the oblique slotted opening 2.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate another embodiment of the present invention wherein belt-fitting parts 4a are provided at the center of a longitudinally oriented buckle body 1a. Buckle body In has oblique slotted openings 2a and 2'a located and arranged as best shown in FIG. 4. The lower half of each oblique slotted opening has a Width W approximately equal to the thickness T of the belt used in conjunction with this buckle body.

In use, a belt, similar to belt '5 illustrated in FIGS. 13, is fitted into the belt-fittting parts 4a in the center of the buckle body It: in the same manner as described above. The free end of a longitudinally oriented belt similar to above described belt 3 is inserted from above the buckle body 1a into the oblique slotted opening 2a and then into the other oblique slotted opening 2a. Alternatively, the belt may be attached to the buckle body by simultaneously introducing it into both of the oblique slotted openings. Next, the belts attached to the buckle body are tightened until the desired tension is obtained.

The belt portion releasably attached to the buckle body 1a is anchored thereto much in the same manner described above in conjunction with the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. Additionally, the belt portion so attached is folded twice at the oblique slotted openings 2a and r2a so that slipping of the belt outwardly of the buckle body is more readily prevented.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate another embodiment of the present invention very similar to the embodiment in FIGS. 4 and 5. The buckle body 1b has a slightly different configuration but the oblique slotted openings 2b and 2b are arranged in the buckle body 1b much in the same manner as described above in conjunction with buckle body 1a. Belt-fitting openings 4b are provided for anchoring one of the belt halves to the buckle body as described above. Almost whole length of the oblique slotted openings have a width W approximately equal to the thickness T of the free end portion of the longitudinally oriented belt to be releasably attached to the buckle body 1b and only the top parts of the: oblique slotted openings are gradually enlarged toward the edge.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate still another embodiment of the present invention which is very similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. Accordingly, similar reference characters are utilized to illustrate similar parts. The difference bet-ween the embodiment of the-invention illustrated in FIGS. 89 and the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4-5 resides in a laterally directed edge portion 7a which extends outwardly from the front of the buckle body 1a, as shown best in FIGQ9. Accordingly, when the buckle body is utilized to connect belting together the belt portion disposed between the oblique slotted openings 2a and 2'a is prevented from riding upwardly by engagement with the laterally directed edge portion 7a. The upper edge of the belt located in the oblique slotted openings 2:: and Z'aabuts the projection or laterally directed edge portion 7a to prevent such removal.

FIG. 10 illustrates a belt buckle having -a buckle body 1c with belt-fitting openings 4c for securing a belt portion similar to belt 5 to the buckle bodylc. The bucklebody also includes a pair of oblique slotted openings 2c and 2'c each of which is closed at its opposite ends. The free end of a belt to be attached to the buckle body 10 is simply inserted into the opening 20 and then into the opening 2"c. The oblique openings are constructed and arranged similar to the other openings describedabove' exceptfor both ends being closed. Moreover, these'o'penings function to prevent slippage of the belt releasably attached to the buckle body 1c when the belt buckle is in use.

What is claimed is: Y

1. A belt and buckle arrangement comprising a longitudinally oriented buckle body having slotted fastening means for fixedly securing one end of a belt to the buckle body, a slotted opening at one end of the buckle body oblique to the longitudinal axis of the body and constructed and arranged to releasably receive the free end portion of a longitudinally oriented belt, the oblique slotted opening having a closed end toward and against which the free end portion of the longitudinally oriented belt is urged when that belt portion is inserted into the oblique slotted opening and tightened, and a second oblique slotted openingsimilar in configuration and substantially parallel to the other slottedopening constructed and arranged to receive the free end portion of the longitudinally oriented belt, and the oblique slotted openings being disposed on opposite sides of the slotted fastening means, each slotted opening extending from a common edge of the buckle body. i 1

2. A belt and buckle arrangement as in claim 1 wherein the buckle body is curved from one end to the other.

3. A belt and buckle arrangement as in claim .1 wherein each oblique slotted opening has an open end opposite the closed end thereof.

4. A belt and buckle arrangement as in claim 3 including a laterally directed edge portion located between the open ends of the oblique slotted openings for maintaining the longitudinally oriented belt in position after that belt portion is inserted into the oblique slotted openings and tightened.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENT BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner 

